Tag Archives: Charles Perrault

Little Red Riding Hood

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This is a classic story with beautiful illustrations, but all those jokes about the grim Grimm Brothers exist for a reason. This retelling hews very close to the Grimm tale, which in turn was based on an even darker French version. You won’t want to read it with your kids before they’re ready (or, perhaps, before bed), but you also won’t want to miss reading this aloud:

“Grandmother! What big, hairy ears you have grown!” she said.
“The better to hear you with, my dear.”
“Oh, Grandmother! Your eyes are so shiny!”
“The better to see you with, my dear.”
“Your hands look so strange, Grandmother!”
“The better to catch you and hug you with, my dear.”
“Please, Grandmother, why do you have such big, sharp teeth?”
“Those are to eat you up with, my dear!”

Author: Trina Schart Hyman/The Grimm Brothers/Charles Perrault
Illustrator: Trina Schart Hyman

Cinderella

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This is the version of Cinderella I remember from my own childhood; I never forgot the golden dress and was thrilled to find this copy. My youngest loves fairy tales and we enjoy reading them together. This retelling hits all of the notes you would expect (pumpkin, fairy godmother, transformation) while leaving out the gory bits (we’re going to be waiting a number of years before reading the Grimm Brothers’ version). Most importantly, this book is so beautiful he doesn’t miss Disney’s talking mice.

Author: Eveyln Andreas/The Grimm Brothers/Charles Perrault
Illustrator: Ruth Ives